The white bones seemed to form a dividing line; the further they advanced, the more corpses littered the ground. Some lay prostrate, others leaned against boulders. Some rested alone, while others were intertwined. Many wore rusted armor, and some still clutched spears. Even horse skeletons were visible among the remains. The wind carried the clanking of metal, its source indiscernible.
Despite her bravery, Mei Lin was unnerved by this scene of carnage. A chill ran down her spine.
“Could there have been a battle here?” she mused, half to herself and half to Murong Jinghe. The answer was evident in the tattered flags fluttering in the wind and the broken weapons strewn across the ground.
Murong Jinghe, his head resting on her shoulder, observed the scene calmly without responding.
The path became increasingly difficult to navigate due to the obstacles. Mei Lin had to kick aside rusted weapons to clear a way for the cart. When confronted with bones she couldn’t avoid, she initially took care to lay down the grass, set Murong Jinghe aside, and respectfully move the remains. As the bones became more numerous, she resorted to gently pushing them aside with her foot.
As they progressed, Mei Lin grew increasingly uneasy. The wind seemed to carry echoes of clashing steel and the cries of battle. After passing a tattered flag for the third time, she realized something was amiss and halted.
“We can’t get out of this area,” she said softly to Murong Jinghe.
“Try going back,” he suggested, having observed their surroundings.
Mei Lin nodded, but before turning around, she drew an arrow at a nearby rock face with her dagger.
Unsurprisingly, half an hour later, they found themselves back where they started. Unwilling to give up, Mei Lin chose another unexplored path. Despite her exhaustion, the result remained unchanged.
Murong Jinghe sighed, “Let’s rest here.”
Neither of them were cowards, and by this point, they had few reservations. Mei Lin cleared a space among the bones, laid down some grass, and set Murong Jinghe down. She then began collecting the rusted weapons scattered about.
After gathering a pile of weapons and retrieving a flag, she sat down on the dry grass. She adjusted Murong Jinghe’s position, intending to let him lean against her shoulder, but when he complained of a headache, she allowed him to rest his head on her uninjured leg. Her shoulder was sore from carrying him all day.
Once settled, Mei Lin examined the flag, piecing together an incomplete black banner embroidered with a yellow taotie design. Unfamiliar with imperial military insignia, she couldn’t decipher its meaning. Before she could ask, Murong Jinghe scoffed, “Greedy Hu tribesmen.”
“Who is the Hu tribe?” Mei Lin couldn’t help but ask.
Murong Jinghe glanced at her, his eyes betraying a hint of disdain. “You don’t know the Hu tribe? Are you even from Da Yan?”
“I… I’m from Xi Yan,” Mei Lin stammered, then declared confidently.
Murong Jinghe’s expression became peculiar. He couldn’t resist asking, “Then say something in the Xi Yan language.”
Embarrassed, Mei Lin ignored him and began examining the weapons.
“The Hu tribe was the royal family of the previous dynasty,” Murong Jinghe explained. “To this land, they were foreigners. Later, their greed and lack of virtue led to widespread suffering, and my Murong ancestors drove them out.”
“There’s writing on this,” Mei Lin said, examining the hilt of a broken saber. Unable to recognize the symbol, she held it up to Murong Jinghe, asking, “Could this be a character?”
Murong Jinghe glanced at it, his expression changing slightly. If he could move, he might have sat up.
“Yu, a weapon only the Hu royal guards could carry,” he said, gesturing for Mei Lin to continue examining the others.
Mei Lin picked up two more with the same marking. When she came to a spear, she found different characters.
“I recognize this,” she said, her earlier dejection replaced by excitement. “It says ‘Bing Dao’.”
Murong Jinghe perked up, his fingers twitching with impatience. “Let me see it quickly.”
Mei Lin handed it to him.
In the dim light, they could see two Da Yan characters engraved on the spear’s spine. Despite some rust, the characters for “Bing Dao” were still legible, just as Mei Lin had said.
Murong Jinghe’s face showed respect and admiration as he stared at it for a long time before sighing deeply and asking Mei Lin to take it away. He fell silent, seemingly lost in thought.
Mei Lin didn’t disturb him, examining the remaining weapons herself. She found no other markings. The two types of markings represented opposing forces.
“The characters ‘Bing Dao’ were used by the Cang Zhong Wang, the foremost of the eight founding generals of this dynasty,” Murong Jinghe suddenly said, his voice solemn and lacking its previous listlessness. His reverence for the Cang Zhong Wang was evident. “The Cang Zhong Wang was a military genius who conquered half of Da Yan’s territory. Bing Dao… the way of the soldier… The art of war is the art of deception…” He trailed off, shaking his head and smiling at himself for discussing military matters with a woman.
Mei Lin had little interest in the Cang Zhong Wang or military strategy, but seeing his enthusiasm, she didn’t interrupt. When he stopped, she was glad to change the subject.
“Are you saying all of Cang Zhong Wang’s soldiers used these weapons?” she asked.
Murong Jinghe shook his head slightly. “Only those directly under his command. His descendants and successors changed ‘Bing’ to ‘Cang’ out of respect for his unique status.”
Thinking of these two characters representing Da Yan’s strongest military force, his eyes narrowed, flashing with an indecipherable light.
Mei Lin focused on his words and didn’t notice. “So these bones must be hundreds of years old,” she mused, imagining the once-proud soldiers and comparing them to the scattered remains before them. An indescribable feeling washed over her.
“At least 324 years,” Murong Jinghe said, his excitement evident as he pursued a different train of thought. “When the Cang Zhong Wang suddenly disappeared, everyone assumed he had retired quietly after achieving his goals. Could he have come here?”
Hearing his speculation, Mei Lin’s expression changed. If the Cang Zhong Wang was as formidable as Murong Jinghe claimed, yet still became trapped here, their chances of escape seemed even slimmer.
“Are we… unable to leave?” she asked hesitantly.
Murong Jinghe snapped out of his reverie, and replied flatly, “Perhaps.”
Hearing this, Mei Lin’s heart surprisingly steadied. It wasn’t that she had accepted their fate, but rather that she tended to interpret his words contrarily. If he had confidently assured her they could escape, she might have become more anxious.
“Well then, why don’t we become a short-lived married couple here?” she said with a smile, moving his head to a higher part of the grass as she prepared to lie down.
Murong Jinghe was stunned by her words, then angered. “Who wants to be your husband?”
Seeing him regain some of his former spirit, Mei Lin inwardly sighed with relief. Outwardly, she feigned surprise. “Isn’t it because you admire me that you’re clinging to me so desperately? Otherwise, why not latch onto little Yue Qin?”
Murong Jinghe snorted, realizing she was deliberately provoking him. He closed his eyes, choosing to ignore her.
In truth, they both knew that while Yue Qin was kind-hearted, uninjured, and strong, making him seem like the best choice for escape, his survival skills and adaptability were far inferior to Mei Lin’s. Moreover, one was a prisoner of war, while the other was nominally Murong Jinghe’s wife with whom he had spent some time. If they were caught, being with the latter would make it harder for others to find flaws in their story. Being with the former might not only fail to secure freedom but could also lead to charges of treason and collusion with the enemy.
Mei Lin felt as if their roles had reversed. Previously, he had been the provocateur while she rarely engaged. Now it was the opposite. Realizing how pointless this was, she shook her head and lost interest in speaking further.
Silence fell once more, broken occasionally by the clanking sounds carried on the wind. Murong Jinghe felt a pair of arms embrace him from behind, just as they had the previous night, shielding him from the cold. He was unaccustomed to such a position and had never allowed anyone to do this before. Now, he could only open his eyes and stare silently at the plain hands clasped over his chest.
Those hands were covered in wounds large and small, one wrapped in a bandage. While they still retained traces of their original elegance, they were now almost pitiful to behold. Yet these same hands had carried him over mountains and valleys, bringing him here almost unscathed.
Although he had chosen her based on his observations during that night and half-day, believing she could accomplish this, seeing her do it surprised him. He couldn’t help but marvel at the strength and resilience hidden within her.
He recalled Mu Ye Luomei’s desire to understand how someone without martial arts skills could survive in dangerous situations, wanting to use this knowledge to train soldiers. Perhaps she should have fled alongside this woman instead of pursuing her. Then she would have seen the potential a person can unleash when faced with death.
Thinking of Mu Ye Luomei and her angry departure that day, he felt an indescribable weariness and disappointment. If one day he were to be sent to the execution ground by his father or brother, she would undoubtedly plead for his life to the death. But faced with a completely paralyzed invalid, he had no confidence that she could endure it. Knowing her as he did, he suspected she would prefer him dead rather than living in such a wretched state.
Wretched…
The memory of that day’s wretchedness resurfaced, causing his face to flush. The soft body and steady breathing of the woman behind him suddenly became more noticeable, and his hand slowly tightened.
Just then, a scurrying sound like that of a rat suddenly became audible amidst the ghostly howling of the wind.
Murong Jinghe’s heart tightened, his chaotic thoughts instantly dissipating. As the sound drew nearer, he quickly closed his eyes, leaving only a narrow slit.
Pebbles rolled onto the ground before him. After a moment, a hunched figure appeared furtively in the dim light.
Mei Lin felt deeply troubled. She couldn’t understand how, after just a nap, everything had disappeared, leaving only an empty bamboo board.
“Do you think it was done by humans or ghosts?” she asked Murong Jinghe, her question bordering on delirium.
Murong Jinghe shook his head silently.
“Aren’t you usually very alert?” Mei Lin couldn’t help but ask. It wasn’t that she didn’t believe him; she just found it strange.
Murong Jinghe looked at her, his eyes devoid of emotion, but his mind was in turmoil.
She knew! Somehow, she knew about his difficulty sleeping. To conceal this, he had even deliberately allowed serving women to stay overnight, but no one had ever noticed. Even during these past few days of constant companionship, he had tried to behave like a normal person. How did she know?
Mei Lin didn’t expect any further response from him and said resignedly, “If this continues, we really might end up staying here.” Despite her words, she began gathering the still-warm dry grass beneath them and placed Murong Jinghe on the bamboo cart.
“You’ll be more comfortable now,” she said with a wry smile, using vines to secure his upper body to prevent him from sliding off during transport.
She was right. With the thick layer of dry grass beneath him, even though the cart was short and his legs had to drag on the ground, it was indeed more comfortable than being carried on her back, constantly at risk of slipping.
Murong Jinghe observed her expression, noting that after the initial shock, she had regained her usual composure. He couldn’t help but admire her strong psychological resilience.
“My ear hurts. Can you check what’s wrong?” he suddenly asked.
Mei Lin was surprised but still asked, “Which side?”
“The right side.”
Due to the poor light, Mei Lin had to reach out to touch his right ear while bending down to look closely. When she was still some distance from his face, she saw that his right ear was fine. Just as she was about to speak, she noticed his lips moving slightly, as if he wanted to say something. Realizing his intent, she lowered herself further, almost pressing her ear to his lips. From the side, it appeared as though she was carefully examining his ear.
“Someone is following us,” Murong Jinghe whispered, his voice so faint that if Mei Lin hadn’t been so close, it would have been completely lost in the wind. “I only saw one person. He has a saber and a bow and arrows.”
Mei Lin wanted to ask if this person had stolen their belongings, but before she could speak, Murong Jinghe silenced her with a look.
“How is it? Is it injured?” he asked in his normal voice.
Seeing that he didn’t intend to say more, Mei Lin straightened up and said sarcastically, “It’s just a small scratch. Is it worth making such a fuss? We lost so many things last night, how come you didn’t notice then?”
She pulled the vine across her chest and began pulling the cart forward. With fewer belongings to carry, she conserved energy and moved much faster.
“You slept like a dead pig yourself, how dare you criticize me!” Murong Jinghe retorted without backing down. Seeing her walk forward again, he couldn’t help but shout, “We couldn’t get out of here yesterday, and you’re taking the same path today. You’re even more pig-headed than a pig!”
Mei Lin snorted, ignoring him as she continued forward. She strongly suspected he was taking the opportunity to vent his earlier frustrations with her.
“Fool. You’re my man, so if I’m a pig, doesn’t that make you a pig-keeper?” she said with a smile, unperturbed.
Murong Jinghe was at a loss for words. He wanted to argue, but the fact was that she could indeed be considered his woman, regardless of her status. By insulting her, he had effectively insulted himself as well.
However, he hadn’t been quiet for long before he started shouting again.
“Hey, woman! I’ve been lying down all night, and you’re still making me lie like this. Are you deliberately trying to make me uncomfortable?”
“You’re so demanding,” Mei Lin said irritably, but still put down the vine and went over to untie him from the bamboo cart, then helped him stand up.
Murong Jinghe was unsteady and fell against her. As his lips brushed her ear, he quickly whispered, “He’s behind the third rock on the left. I don’t see anyone else.” He had immediately noticed the presence of another person due to his heightened awareness.
Mei Lin gave a low hum of acknowledgment, one hand tightening around his waist while the other gripped the dagger in her embrace.
“You can’t even stand steadily. Could you be any more useless?” she scolded loudly. “I don’t know what sins I committed in my past life to be burdened with a man like you… Ow… ow… let go, let go of my ear!” Her tirade was cut short as Murong Jinghe, who was leaning on her shoulder, suddenly bit her ear, causing her to stiffen and plead.
At the same time, a sound of metal scraping reached their ears. The two exchanged a glance, and Mei Lin felt her blood begin to flow faster.
“Keep scolding,” Murong Jinghe said softly. He had noticed something unusual.
The person hadn’t done anything to them when they were asleep last night, so why was he losing patience now? Was it related to their mutual taunting, or was he provoked by their intimate gestures? Either way, having an unpredictable person lurking in the shadows was extremely disadvantageous to them, so they had to risk drawing him out.
Mei Lin hesitated, unsure what to say next. His sudden bite had made her forget everything, and she couldn’t think of how to continue.
“Stupid woman,” Murong Jinghe sighed helplessly, understanding the situation with just a glance. Suddenly, he lowered his head and kissed the corner of her lips.
Mei Lin was startled and reflexively looked at him. His lips slid over, sealing hers completely, while his ears perked up to catch the stranger’s reaction.
The wind howled, capable of drowning out any subtle sounds. The person seemed to have vanished, making no further noise.
Not because of this. Murong Jinghe’s eyes flickered, a frivolous smile appearing on his face. As he left her soft lips, he sucked on them slightly, unwilling to part. “I’m giving you a chance to vent your dissatisfaction,” he said, then suddenly sneered, “I see you, you wicked woman, can’t wait for me to die so you can go find your lover. I won’t let you have your way! Remember, you’re still my woman now, and I’ll do whatever I want…”
Slap! A crisp sound cut off his remaining words. Mei Lin pushed him onto the cart, but when his hand nearly slipped to the ground, she discreetly blocked it with her leg and then began kicking wildly.
“Do you think you’re still that impressive prince? Look at your current state. Who else but I would take care of you…” she cursed angrily, appearing as if she wanted the man on the ground dead.
“Cough, cough… Go ahead and hit me. Even if you beat me to death, you still won’t be able to leave this place…” Murong Jinghe curled up on the cart, his face hidden in the shadows. Though his tone was angry and ashamed, his face remained expressionless.
“Bah! You think I can’t survive without you?” Mei Lin said fiercely, kicking his buttocks. Then she suddenly drew her dagger and said coldly, “Let’s see if I can get out of here without you.”
The cold light of the dagger flashed in the dim gray light as it plunged towards Murong Jinghe’s chest.
Murong Jinghe’s eyes narrowed slightly, almost believing she truly intended to kill him. If not for the metal scraping sound that rang out again, even more clearly and prolonged than before.
“I’ll kill you, you evil woman…” a hoarse voice suddenly interjected, followed by the sound of stumbling footsteps.
Mei Lin kicked the cart away, then turned to face the hunched figure rushing towards her with a raised knife. Although she had lost her inner strength, her eyesight and techniques remained. Against a skilled opponent, she would have been at a disadvantage, but this person’s knife grip and running speed indicated he was just an ordinary person, albeit with more killing intent and an aura of death than most. These were things she did not fear.
“What kind of monster are you!” she taunted, attempting to provoke his anger further.
Murong Jinghe slowly extended his head from the shadows, calmly assessing the man to gauge Mei Lin’s chances of victory.
At first glance, the man appeared short and hunched, but his frame was quite large. If he stood up straight, he would be nearly as tall as Murong Jinghe. His clothes were in tatters, and his beard and hair were matted, obscuring his face. He looked as if he had been in this place for quite some time.
His steps were heavy, indicating a lack of inner strength. His knife stance was without form, suggesting he had no martial arts training. How could such a person survive here? That damned woman hadn’t held back at all earlier. How should he get back at her once this was over? Her lips still tasted of wild grapes. Tch, he was starting to feel hungry…
Realizing Mei Lin wasn’t in great danger, his thoughts began to wander.
If Mei Lin knew what he was thinking, she might have regretted not hitting him harder earlier. However, she couldn’t afford to be distracted now. Although the man seemed untrained in martial arts, his saber was no bluff. If she was even slightly grazed, she could be in trouble. Or if he realized their ruse and ran away, it would be difficult to lure him out again.
Fortunately, the man had been provoked into losing his rationality. His knife came down wildly, with no sign of retreat.
Mei Lin’s gaze sharpened. Just as the knife was about to strike her face, she twisted her waist, flashing to the side. Her dagger simultaneously rose, about to slash the man’s wrist when she suddenly changed her stance, driving her elbow into his solar plexus.
Her left shoulder injury hadn’t fully healed, limiting the force she could exert, but it was still enough to make the man double over. Then, with a graceful twist of her dagger, she easily placed it across his throat.
“Drop the knife,” she said with a faint smile. The man’s body emitted a stench of rotting corpses and death that made one want to vomit, but she didn’t even furrow her brow.
The man’s shoulders slumped dejectedly, and his eyes, hidden beneath his matted hair, flashed with bewilderment.
Clang! The saber fell to the ground.
The man’s hands were bound behind his back with vines from the cart, and he reluctantly pulled the bamboo cart with Murong Jinghe on it, moving forward step by step.
He refused to reveal his identity, and Mei Lin couldn’t be bothered to force an answer out of him. She simply called him “Corpse Ghost” due to the terrible stench emanating from him.
Strangely, although it was the same path, after Corpse Ghost’s twists and turns, the scenery suddenly changed, taking less than half an hour. While there were still towering rocks, not a single bone could be seen on the path.
Mei Lin’s eyes lit up, thinking they might be close to leaving the forest, but her hopes were quickly dashed.
She saw a hut. A hut built from densely packed white bones, covered with pieces of cloth. The hut was casually divided into two spaces by a cloth robe. One room was thickly layered with crushed bones and tattered cloth, while the other had several pieces of dried meat hanging from the ceiling, along with various other objects, including the food, water, and herbs they had brought in. It was a chaotic mess that filled nearly half the room.
This was Corpse Ghost’s dwelling.
Without a word, Mei Lin rushed into the room with the miscellaneous items, grabbed a bamboo tube, pulled out the stopper, and took a gulp. Then she went out to feed Murong Jinghe.
“What do you want to eat?” she asked, referring to everything in the hut.
Murong Jinghe shook his head, his face looking very unwell. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he said with difficulty, “Help me sit up.”
Mei Lin didn’t know what he wanted to do but complied. However, as soon as she got him up before he could steady himself, he plunged his head into her embrace and began breathing deeply, as if he had been holding his breath for a long time. Mei Lin suddenly understood – he had been affected by the stench as well. Although she knew he had no ulterior motives, the feeling of his hot breath penetrating her clothes and warming her skin still made her feel somewhat uncomfortable. She couldn’t help but recall the unexpected kiss from earlier.
Trying to calm her quickening heartbeat, she initially wanted to push him away. However, she caught sight of Corpse Ghost, who had turned around and was staring at them with a bewildered expression, seemingly unable to understand how the two people who had been at each other’s throats moments ago were now so close. So she suppressed the urge to push Murong Jinghe away.
“If you lead us out of here, you can keep all those things,” she said to Corpse Ghost, gently stroking Murong Jinghe’s head.
Corpse Ghost looked at her, then at Murong Jinghe who was clinging to her like a spoiled child. He seemed to understand something, and the intense anger and hatred in his eyes diminished somewhat.
“You… were trying to… lure me out earlier?” he asked. Compared to his fluent speech when he was enraged earlier, his words now seemed stiff and slow, as if he hadn’t conversed with anyone for a long time.
Mei Lin smiled without speaking, implicitly confirming his suspicion. Murong Jinghe’s breathing had gradually calmed down, and the two now looked like a loving couple.
Corpse Ghost’s mouth twisted into a stiff smile as he squatted down on the spot.
“Can’t get out… can’t get out…” he mumbled, burying his face in his knees. His voice sounded like a whimper. “Anyone who enters this place can never leave… They couldn’t get out… You can’t get out either…”
Murong Jinghe felt he could finally suppress the urge to vomit. Hearing this, he turned his face to look at the man.
“How long have you been living here?”
Corpse Ghost seemed stumped by the question. His hopeless mumbling stopped, and after a while, he raised his head and asked, “What year is it now?”
Hearing him ask about the year rather than the date, Mei Lin’s heart instantly sank.
“The 32nd year of Zhaoming, August… um… what day?” Murong Jinghe replied, the last two words directed at Mei Lin.
Who had the mind to keep track of dates? Mei Lin shook her head, only then realizing that they were still in that ambiguous position. She quickly pushed him away a bit and sat down herself, supporting him from the side.
“Is that so… The 32nd year of Zhaoming… 32 years… hehe…” Corpse Ghost stared blankly, repeating the words twice before breaking into a sorrowful laugh. The sound was like the wailing of a wronged ghost, both heartbreaking and chilling.
Mei Lin shrank back behind Murong Jinghe, still finding it hard to bear. She couldn’t help but cough lightly and secretly poked Murong Jinghe, signaling him to say something quickly.
Murong Jinghe ignored her until he felt the other man had vented enough. Then he repeated his earlier question: “You’ve been here for a long time?”
“Eight years… eight years…” Corpse Ghost raised his head trembling, his eyes bloodshot and his gaze vacant.
Murong Jinghe drew in a sharp breath but immediately regretted the action. He turned his head and began dry heaving until Mei Lin pressed his head against her shoulder.
Having been in the mountains and forests for so long, Mei Lin’s body carried the scent of pine, bamboo, and grass, which was extremely effective in countering the stench of decay.
“You can’t get out either?” Mei Lin asked skeptically. If he couldn’t leave after eight years in such a place, where did the food and water come from?
“Don’t… don’t ask anymore,” Murong Jinghe interrupted, closing his eyes and breathing slightly heavily before Corpse Ghost could answer.
“Huh?” Mei Lin was somewhat surprised.
“Isn’t it obvious enough?” Murong Jinghe had barely finished speaking when his stomach churned again, and he quickly shut his mouth. He thought this woman could be very astute at times, but incredibly obtuse at others.
Mei Lin paused, glancing at Corpse Ghost who was huddled in a ball, then turning towards his bone hut. Her gaze finally settled on the pieces of dried meat hanging from the ceiling. An indescribable feeling welled up in her chest, making her mood suddenly heavy and calming her restless thoughts.
“If I were you, I would have done the same thing,” she said to the man who was shivering and lowering his head as if trying to shut out all the disgust and strange looks from the outside world.
As Corpse Ghost’s body trembled slightly at her words and he slowly raised his head, Murong Jinghe also stiffened at what she said. But he said nothing about it, instead turning his head to look at Corpse Ghost.
“If you want to leave, tell us everything you know.”
(End of Chun Hua Yan – Chapter)